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Then I called Miss Doug's office. He invited me to lunch at the Royal Hawaiian on Tuesday at 11. The Buffet at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel is Hawaii's most sumptuous. Doug had an umbrella-covered table overlooking the beach. He had another guest already seated. They were sipping something exotic, something I also presumed was alcoholic. Doug had aged in the ensuing years. No longer could he get away playing the roll of a female. He had gained 40 lbs. His hair was gray, but existed only as a ring around his otherwise bald head. He introduced me to his friend: a robust man in his early fifties. He was an administrator at the Kamehameha School for Hawaiian Children. They had known each other for years. Fred was of German extraction and had been a professor at some school in California, before being attracted to the islands by an offer from the Bishop Estate and Kamehameha Schools. Even though we had nothing in common, we developed an instant liking for each other. His interests were strictly academic. I hadn't even finished high school. Classical music was his forte, mine was Country Western/Hawaiian. The primary reason for this luncheon was that vacant spot in Doug's schedule. Even though I could hardly be called an expert in Hawaiian Music, my friendship at the Hawaiian Club had paved the path. Don Ho, Sammy Kapu, and even Zulu had heard about this strange haole who hung around the otherwise predominately Hawaiian Club. I didn't want just to be a DJ. I suggested that we see if Ho could get past the American Federation of Musicians, so that we could do thirty minute live segments from each club, rotating them through the week. Doug was more concerned about the labor cost of doing a remote. I suggested that we simply tie into the club's PA System. Doug said that he'd talk to Dave Johnson about the engineering side of it and to Don Ho. In the final analysis, it would be good business for everyone. I'd take care of the MC'ing. We'd start with an hour of recorded music featuring the artists we would be visiting. Then after midnight, I'd take the reigns. I'd mix recorded music with an open mic; me on the guitar. Also, any musicians who wanted to drop by for talking story or playing music could do so. We would not issue specific invitations; there could be no advance planning; we'd make do with whomever arrived at our studio after midnight. Fred suggested I needed a quick course in Hawaiian History: the ancient chief system, the evolvement of that system to today's modern Hawaii. There was very little that I knew about the Hawaiian people other than their contemporary music. I eagerly accepted his offer and found myself invited for dinner at his home on the Kamehameha campus Friday night. Bobby and Charlie were ecstatic about my being on the radio. But they were unhappy about the probability that it would cut back on the sailing. Finding Fred's home on Friday night was not as easy as it should have been. First, I got to the wrong gate and had to backtrack, coming up to what I then found was the main gate. Then, Security needed to telephone Fred's house to clear my entry. It seems Fred didn't know my last name. They had a guest list, but of course, I wasn't on it. And his phone was busy. Then the drive from the gate to Fred's was long and winding with several forks; of course, I took two wrong ones. |
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However, eventually I did find his home. There had been few cars in evidence as I drove up the hill. I turned a corner; there were cars parked everywhere. Fred's party was a gathering. Everyone in attendance seemed to have a different reason for being there. First, there was a heavy set guy touting old movies taken in Honolulu in the early 1900's. Then there was a lady writer who was doing research on a book about the last reigning monarch of Hawaii, Queen Liliokalani. Still another handsome haole woman was studying the Hawaiian language and culture. Several of the school staff were present. Two other musicians were introduced to me. Kui Lee was half Chinese and half Hawaiian and a leading composer of Hawaiian music. The other fellow, Jack Demello, was one of the island's leading band leaders. In introducing me, Fred pushed the truth way out of proportion saying that I was starting a revolutionary type of Hawaiian programing on the radio. He emphasized the nightly open forum from midnight to 4 AM. The writer immediately sought me out, offering her research. At the moment, most of that research was divided between the archives at the Bishop Museum and interviews with Queen Liliokalani's hani (foster) daughter, Lydia Aholo. Miss Lydia, now in her 90's was bedridden in Mount Lelani Convalescent home. I found her story an intriguing one: how the missionary's culture had clashed with that of the monarchy. About how white settlers lead by Sanford Dole had mounted an armed revolt, supported by American warships. How the queen had been placed under arrest and imprisoned in Iolani Palace. How she appealed to President Wilson, who avowed that America had no part in the revolution and therefore could not intercede. Kui Lee provided a different insight to my perspective of the Hawaiians. Much of his music was contemporary; "Tiny Bubbles", a Don Ho trademark, was one of his. Kui was a quiet man, yet one who always seemed nervous, or unsettled. He was a heavy smoker. His smile always seemed to be a bit sad. to be continued next week ... |
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